Happy 15th Anniversary CKWX News1130
byIt’s been 15 years since News1130 hit the airways in Vancouver offering up all-news, all the time (with traffic and weather on the 1’s). They’ve survived some tumultuous times in the local radio economy and have branched out to social media – even hosting their first Tweetup a few months ago that welcomed about a hundred listeners.
While the current news format has been around since my high school days in 1996, the CKWX call sign has been a part of the Vancouver media landscape for the better part of the last century. CKWX powered up with 10 watts in 1923 and by 1928 they were broadcasting at 100 watts from the top of the Hotel Georgia.
1940s – Group broadcast on CKWX. Archives Item# CVA 1184-2378. Photographer: Jack Lindsay
It’s a little tough to keep track of all the frequencies and call signs but of note in 1941, CKWX 950 moved to AM 980 (which is now CKNW radio) and in 1951 CKWX moved to AM 1130 where it lives today. They were the first Vancouver radio station to broadcast at 50,000 watts, back in 1957. CKWX had adult contemporary programming in the 1970s and were then spinning country through the 1980s and 1990s before becoming a news station in 1996 with headlines cycling through every 30 minutes.
1940s – Group broadcasting on CKWX. Archives Item# CVA 1184-2382. Photographer: Jack Lindsay
Tonight there is a celebration for News1130’s 15th year and you can follow along online by searching the tag newx1130xv on Twitter.
My source for the preceding information is the Vancouver Radio Museum which has an amazing archive of information and photos. You can also read Broadcasting History to find talent including News 1130’s Andy Walsh, Canada’s longest serving on-air personality, and a very young Red Robinson who worked at CKWX as a teen.
